A multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science
research products and clinical diagnostics, Bio-Rad Laboratories, has recently
introduced advance dual diagnostic platforms like D-10, Variant II fully
automated systems for mid size and high through put labs respectively to monitor
Diabetes and Thalassaemia through chromatography. Worldwide Bio-Rad is one of
the leaders in Diabetes and Thalassaemia testing through HbA1c and HbA2. It has
come up with a unique point of care testing instrument, Micromat II, which can
diagnose diabetes through HbA1c within four minutes.

In the area of blood screening, Bio-Rad has recently launched
a unique rapid test, which is the single use assay for the detection and
differentiation of HIV-1 and HIV-2 antibodies. It has also introduced highly
specific and sensitive antigen, antibody based HCV detection assays. Its Evolis
is a self-contained microplate processor design to completely automate
microtiter plate based EIA techniques. Developing assays that improve lives,
BioRad's BioPlex 2200 system is a novel immunoassay platform that employs
multiplexing technology to analyze for multiple disease states from single
patient samples. This is amongst the first clinical diagnostics platform to
offer multiplexing technology on a fully automated, fully integrated random
access platform. The company is also one of the leaders in neonatal testing
worldwide. In addition, Bio-Rad offers help to diagnostic labs to upgrade their
quality standards by providing highly accurate quality controls and external
quality control programs EQAS, which helps the lab to maintain the international
quality standards in the testing.

A significant player in the life sciences segment as well,
Bio-Rad has forayed in BioProcess chromatography systems. With the recent
acquisition of Verdot – France, a bioprocess company, Bio-Rad is poised to be
a major player in providing process systems to Bio-Pharma industries. Globally,
Bio-Rad is a leading player in amplification systems by manufacturing the entire
range of unique gradient-based thermal cyclers and real time PCR systems.

The company expanded its electrophoresis product portfolio by
launching a fully automated chip based electrophoresis system, Experion, which
has capability to complete the electrophoresis experiment including analysis
within 30 minutes.

In India, Bio-Rad has joined hands with Institute of Chemical
Technology, Mumbai to help industry and academia develop customized
chromatographic methods and help scientists in solving their application related
issues.

Globally, Bio-Rad serves more than 70,000 research and
industry customers worldwide through a network of more than 30 wholly owned
subsidiary offices. It is headquartered in Hercules, California. Bio-Rad India,
based in Gurgaon, Haryana, is a 100 percent subsidiary of Bio-Rad Laboratories
USA, and has regional offices at Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore and
Hyderabad. Headed by Dhiren Wagle, country manager, the company provides
services and products to the numerous research, industrial and clinical
laboratories of India. The Indian office is also coordinating all operations in
the neighboring countries of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives.
Bio-Rad is committed to providing customer support and service by having unique
service base all over India and offering toll-free technical support backed up
by experienced scientists. It is a fast-growing company dedicated to bring
quality in terms of products, services and innovative ideas into the
life-sciences research and health-care sectors.

Bio-Rad India has been seeing consistent growth in its revenues over the past
few years. In 2004-05 its biotech business was Rs 45 crore, registering 18
percent growth as compared to the previous year's revenue of Rs 38 crore. The
revenue generated by the clinical diagnostics group and the life sciences group
during 2004-05 was Rs 18 crore and Rs 27 crore respectively. During the current
fiscal the company aims to achieve a total turnover of Rs 60 crore.

"India, a promising market for biomedical
research equipments"

Techniplast, an Italian biomedical research equipment company
dealing in a diverse range of animal care products, recently gave a presentation
on "Innovative solutions for research with laboratory animals", at the
Indian Institute of Immunology.

The technical session provided exhaustive information on the
some of the new upgraded products like metabolic cage, metabolic and diuresis
cage and the newly introduced individually ventilated, Sealsafe cage for mice.
Efisio Spanu, group service manager, Tecniplast said, "India is a promising
market for biomedical research equipments and when compared to the high
standards prevailing in the developed countries, India is making a lot of
research to reach there. The commitment of the Indian researchers is very high,
their level of competence is good and they are fast catching up in this
area."

Techniplast, is a complete solution provider in the area of
animal care products and has an exclusive tie up with Delhi-based Samitek
Instruments, for distributing their wide range of biomedical research equipment
in the country. During the last year, the company sold equipment worth 8,00,000
Euros in India and is optimistic to cross 1 million Euros this year. The company
has about twenty years of design experience in husbandry equipment, a specific
know-how in lab animal field and a broad knowledge and product range of washing
solutions for its various products. It is presently conducting research on
housing different aquatic species and related solutions.